When You Were Little
by Caitlincat
Summary: Prequel to the show. Follows Lorelai during the time she lived at the Independence Inn, when Rory was young. Java Junkie.
1. Chapter 1

Lorelai nervously adjusts her maid's apron in the mirror. The mirror is filthy and cracked a little at the top. Hardly surprising since they found it at the junkyard. Lorelai strokes the crack carefully.

"Seven years bad luck, isn't it babe?" she says, looking over at her two-year old daughter. Rory is sat on the floor, playing with the pots and pans. Or more specifically, one pot that Mia was going to throw away and a pan that Chris stole from his parents. Rory smiles, giggles and hits the pan again.

"Ok, Mom has to talk to some adults soon or she's going to lose it." Lorelai sighs. She adjusts her apron, scoops Rory up and leaves their little potting shed.

* * *

"Good morning, Mia!" Lorelai says, smiling and trying to act upbeat.

"Morning Lorelai, good morning babydoll!" says Mia, blowing Rory a kiss. "How's it going?"

"Good. Great." says Lorelai. "What are my jobs for today?"

Mia gives Lorelai a knowing look. "Well that's not true."

"It is!" Lorelai insists.

"Lorelai, come on, tell me what's wrong."

"It's Rory. She woke up last night with a fever. I gave her medicine and sat up with her until the fever broke. She wouldn't go back to sleep after that."

"Oh poor baby." says Mia.

"That's why she's with me today. I couldn't stand leaving her at daycare. Plus we really can't afford it this month." says Lorelai, bouncing Rory.

"Lorelai sweetheart, why don't you head back to the potting shed and get yourself and that baby to sleep. Then maybe tomorrow we can discuss giving you a little pay raise? To help you get by?"

"No. Mia, please no. You've done more than enough for us already. You have to let me work for my bed and board, and Rory's too. I don't want any charity."

"What are you going to do then?"

"Right now, I'm going to clean the first floor rooms with Rory. She can nap in her Moses basket while I clean. And... we'll figure things out. I'll take some extra shifts, or get a second job or sell my hair or something."

"Well, if you need help cutting all that hair off, or with anything else. You know where to find me. I mean that, you know."

"I do."

"And you know I love babysitting this little angel." says Mia, holding Rory's hand. "You're not alone, Lorelai, not on my watch."


	2. When You Were Babysat

Lorelai hobbles behind the front desk and kicks off her uniform heels. She rubs her feet and winces.

"Must you do that behind my desk." asks Michel, sarcastically.

"Yes, Michel, I must."

"It freaks out the guests!"

"Michel, it's midnight, there are no guests down here." says Lorelai.

Mia walks out from her office at the back.

"Is he bothering you, Lorelai?" she asks.

"I am telling her not to massage her enormous feet at my desk." says Michel.

"What was that, dear? I'm sorry I just cannot understand you." says Mia.

"I give up." says Michel, stalking out dramatically.

Mia smiles at Lorelai, who slips her shoes back on.

"I wish you'd let me buy you new work shoes." says Mia. Lorelai smiles but shakes her head. That's the whole reason she left. She didn't want to be handed things anymore. She wanted to be sulf-sufficient, her own boss, have no one controlling her. Obviously, she was still a little way away from that.

"Where's the gorgeous baby?" asks Mia.

"Here." says Lorelai. She points down to the Moses basket which is on a shelf under the desk. Inside, Rory is sleeping peacefully. Lorelai would much rather have her sleep in a basket under the desk than in a silver-plated cradle at her parents house. It didn't make any difference to Rory, did it?

"You two should get some sleep now." says Mia, stroking Rory's hair. "Go on. Away with you both.

"Goodnight Mia." says Lorelai, picking up the basket carefully. Rory stirs.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" says Mia, running back into the office. Lorelai waits in the lobby with the basket. Rory stirs again and starts to wake up.

"Here. It's a letter for you." says Mia. Lorelai looks at the stationary and recognises it immediately.

"Thank you." she says, taking it and slipping into her pocket. Rory starts grumble and cry. Lorelai puts the basket down and lifts Rory out, who has by now started to cry properly. "It's ok, baby, shhh, it's ok, Mom's here."

Rory starts to quiet down and Mia picks up the basket.

"I'll carry this back for you." she says. "You carry the baby."

* * *

Lorelai wakes up the next morning to an annoying and persistent knocking on the door.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming. Please stop knocking, you'll wake my kid." says Lorelai. She angrily throws open the door. Michel is standing outside, looking grumpy.

"What do you want Michel?" says Lorelai, annoyed. It's Sunday, and it's early. She doesn't have an early shift on Sundays and now her lie in has been ruined.

"I want for nothing, as per usual." says Michel. Lorelai scoffs and Michel glares at her. "Mia wants you in the lobby. Well, somebody on the main phone wants to talk to you and I am their messenger boy, it seems."

"Ok, thanks Michel, I go see who that is now." says Lorelai, wrapping her dressing gown around her and slipping on some shoes.

"You're not going out like that, are you?" says Michel, with disgust.

"Guests do it all the time, Michel."

"Guests are paying to be here and..."

"Right, whatever, I suck." says Lorelai, cutting him off. "Hey, could you stay here with Rory while I deal with this? I'll only be like ten minutes. Thanks, you're the greatest."

Lorelai leaves the potting shed and makes her way over to the inn, ignoring Michel's cries of 'Lorelai, come back here!' and 'I don't do babies, I do not like them.'

* * *

Lorelai walks in, trying to look as put together as possible in her pyjamas and robe.

"Very professional, Lorelai." One of the other maids says, snickering. Lorelai holds her head up and ignores her. Most of the other maids don't like her very much because she got a job so quickly with no qualifications or references. They talk about her all the time behind her back but it doesn't bother Lorelai. She's not trying to make friends.

"Hey, Mia, is that for me?" asks Lorelai.

Mia covers the phone. "Oh yes, my angel, it is. A very charming young man, I must say. Here, talk all you want." says Mia, handing her the phone.

"Hey Lor." says that all too familiar voice.

"Chris. What is it? What do you want?"

"Nothing, I'm just checking in with my girls."

"That's all?" says Lorelai, sceptically.

"That's all." says Chris. "I promise. How are you? How's my kid?"

"We're ok, I guess." says Lorelai. "Rory's starting to talk a little now. She's ahead of the average for communication skills. She's behind a little on motor skills so I'm guessing she's not going to become an Olympian any time soon but..."

"What about you, Lor." says Chris, interrupting her. "How are you doing?"

"I thought you were calling to check on Rory?"

"Yeah, but I want to know how you're getting on too."

"It doesn't matter how I am, Chris."

"Look, I want to see you, I miss you, I need to see you."

"No." says Lorelai. "You _need _to see Rory. And when you get your priorities straight, you'll be able to understand that."

"Lorelai, please, I..." Chris starts to say, but Lorelai hangs up the phone. Mia peers around the corner. Standing there in her pyjamas, Mia very briefly sees Lorelai as the scared, lonely, sad child that she tries to hide. Mia places her hand on Lorelai's arm, gently.

"Everything ok?"

Lorelai looks up and smiles. "Everything's fine, thank you Mia." she says. "I'll be in for my shift later."

"Ok." says Mia, and she watches her leave.

* * *

Lorelai walks back into the potting shed and sees Rory, crawling around on the floor.

"Hey, you!" she says, smiling at her daughter and picking her up.

"She woke up and seemed to want to roam free so I released her." says Michel.

"Thank you, Michel."

"Also I found this." says Michel, waving around the letter.

"Michel, give me that!"

"You really should open your mail as soon as you get it."

"And you really shouldn't go through other people's stuff!" says Lorelai, snatching it off Michel. "Now, go away."

"Happily." says Michel, leaving.

Lorelai sighs and puts Rory down.

"I guess we should open this thing." she says. "What do you think, kid?"

"Mamamama." says Rory, chewing on her rattle.

"That's right, Mom should open it." says Lorelai, taking a deep breath and ripping the seal. Bizarrely, the letter has a recognisable smell, too. It's definitely from her Dad's office.

Lorelai reads the letter aloud to Rory. "Dear Lorelai, Firstly, I would like to thank you for giving us your address. It is most appreciated and knowing where you are gives your mother great peace of mind, although she may not admit it. I should also mention that she is unaware that I am writing to you and if she did know I am certain that she would be most displeased. While you may find it difficult to believe, your mother misses you and Rory greatly. You put us through hell, Lorelai, and then you left and took Rory with you. That hurt us a great deal. However, this is now all in the past and I'm writing to invite you, and Rory of course, to our Thanksgiving party. The dress code is, as always, formal. I think your presence may help repair things somewhat. I hope to see you there. Yours Sincerely, Richard Gilmore (Dad)(Grandpa)"

Lorelai puts down the letter and looks at Rory.

"What do you think, babe?" she asks. Rory doesn't respond. "Because I think we're going to a party."

* * *

**A/N: Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you thought, I love feedback.**


	3. When You Were A Party Guest

It's 6pm in early winter at the Independence Inn and it's starting to get dark and cold. This is why it's surprising to Mia to see Lorelai and Rory curled up under a blanket on the grass outside the potting shed.

"Lorelai? What are you doing?" she asks.

"We're watching the party." Lorelai responds, patting the ground next to her. "Come sit." Mia sits down gingerly on the grass next to them. She can feel Rory's even breath on her arm. "It's pretty, isn't it?" says Lorelai, wistfully.

Mia looks at the inn, all lit up. "Yes." she says. "Very. How long have you been out here, you must be frozen."

"Not long. And we were dancing to the music before so we stayed warm."

"I see."

They sit in silence for a while, watching the lights from the inn dance and reflect off the lake.

"Rory and I are going to a party tomorrow." says Lorelai.

"Oh? Is it that nice young man that called for you the other day?"

Lorelai rolls her eyes. "No, it's not his party. It's my parents' Thanksgiving hooplah."

"A hooplah?" asks Mia.

"They're wealthy people."

"You know it's funny, that's all I know about your parents." says Mia.

"Yeah, I don't like to talk about them much." says Lorelai.

"Or Rory's father?" says Mia, pushing gently for information.

"Well what can I say about him? I suppose he's a nice young man." says Lorelai, looking pointedly at Mia.

"Oh! Now it makes sense!" says Mia, laughing slightly.

There's a silence again. The lights in the bedrooms of the inn are beginning to go out one by one.

"I don't what to put Rory in for this party tomorrow." says Lorelai.

"I'm sure what she's wearing now is fine." says Mia, looking down at Rory, who's wearing a small cotton dress that Lorelai made from an old t-shirt.

"Oh no, Gilmore standards are very high." says Lorelai. "When they say formal, they mean formal. I'm lucky because I have one fancy dress that I took from home, but Rory has nothing."

"Why don't you make her something? I have some curtains you could use?" says Mia.

"Really?"

"Yes! They're nice too, they just don't match the bedspread."

"If you're sure..."

"Of course I'm sure. I'll bring them by tomorrow morning."

* * *

"Ok Rory, here we go." says Lorelai to Rory, who's she's carrying on her hip. They're outside the house, Lorelai's childhood home, dressed in their 'formal' outfits. Lorelai's is a dress she took from home when she left. She doesn't remember who bought it for her or when she got it. She took it because it was the only one she actually liked. Rory's wearing her dress made from the curtains. They were a soft, cream, lacy material and Rory's little dress fits her perfectly.

"Now you have to be my buffer, tonight." Lorelai continues. "Anyone asks me any awkward questions, you smile or laugh or cry or do something and distract them, got it?"

Rory sucks her thumb and blinks her big blue eyes. She's been quiet since they got out the car. Lorelai thinks it must be because she's overwhelmed by it all. The house, the fountain, the sounds of party guests. Normally these things are far away, at the inn during the evening. Lorelai and Rory just watch from a safe distance.

"Don't worry kid." says Lorelai, kissing her head. "You'll be fine. We'll be fine."

Lorelai knocks tentatively on the door. A maid opens it, smiles, and points them through to the the living room. Lorelai walks as slowly as possible to the living room and then stands awkwardly in the doorway, waiting to be noticed, which never takes long when you have a toddler with you. A collective 'ahh, look!' fills the room when the guests become aware of Rory. Lorelai feels Rory's little fingers clasp the back of her hair tightly, shocked be the centre of attention in such a large group of people.

Lorelai quickly scans the room. She sees people that she's known her whole life but who's names she doesn't know and, right in the middle, Emily Gilmore.

"Lorelai..." says Emily, stunned. "Why... what are you doing here?"

"Thanksgiving." says Lorelai, shrugging. A gaggle of people have gathered around Rory and they're patting and waving at her. Rory stares back at them for a while, then squishes her face into her mom's shoulder.

"But, I..." Emily stammers.

"I invited her, Emily." says Richard. He's just returned from the kitchen and is standing behind Lorelai. "Hello, Lorelai."

Lorelai instinctively switches Rory to her other hip, removing her from the flock of cooing friends and relatives. She walks over to Emily.

"Hey mom."

"Hello Lorelai."

"Happy Thanksgiving."

"Thank you, Lorelai."

Lorelai sighs and looks at her mother, who's regained her usual icy composure.

"You look nice." says Emily, in a clipped tone.

"Thank you." says Lorelai, genuinely touched.

"Although that dress is a little tight on you now. Clearly you haven't managed to lose all the baby weight yet, though it's been two years."

Lorelai sighs. "On that note, I'm going to get a drink. Do you want to hold her, mom?" says Lorelai, gesturing to Rory.

"Well... will she puke on me?" asks Emily.

Lorelai laughs. "No. She's a little past that stage now. Here, hon, go to grandma." says Lorelai, handing her over.

"Hello there." says Emily, slightly uncomfortable.

"Have fun. Don't go too wild." says Lorelai.

Emily holds Rory awkwardly. Rory stares after Lorelai. Eventually Emily begins to sway slightly, to comfort her. "You are a good girl, aren't you?" she whispers to her granddaughter. "My goodness, you have your mother's eyes! Well, your grandfather's eyes really. Richard! Come over here and look at Rory's eyes!"

Richard walks over and smiles at his baby granddaughter. "Hello sweetheart." he says, endearingly.

A couple that have lived on the same street, Lucie and Jonathon, make their way towards the little group.

"Oh Richard, Emily, she's gorgeous!" says Lucie. "The eyes, just like Lorelai!"

"I see a lot of you in her, Emily." says Jonathon.

"Really?" says Emily.

"Oh yes, see the smile? That's you!"

"Well, I suppose." says Emily beaming.

* * *

Over at the drinks cart, the guests have descended on Lorelai.

"It's so nice to have you back Lorelai, dear."

"Yes, we have missed your unique sense of humour."

Lorelai stops pouring her drink. "Oh I'm not back." she says. "Rory and I just came for the party."

"Ah yes, your little one."

"She is just the sweetest."

"Yeah she's great." says Lorelai, pouring more vodka into her martini.

"Oh, you really shouldn't drink that dear..."

"Why?" says Lorelai. "I'm not driving. And I'm not pregnant. Anymore."

"And you're not twenty one either."

"Huh." says Lorelai mock thoughtfully, downing her martini.

* * *

Lorelai sits on her parents' couch with Rory on her lap. They've been here for almost three hours. How long do they have to stay to fulfill their family obligation?

The doorbell rings.

"Who's arriving this late to a party?" Lorelai says to Rory.

"Lorelai?" says her father. "Could you get that door? The maid may not have heard it."

"Fine." says Lorelai, standing up with Rory. "Come on kid."

Lorelai opens the door and gasps.

"Christopher." she says.

"Lorelai, who is it?" calls Richard.

"What are you doing here? You should leave." Lorelai whispers. Rory starts to whimper.

"Lor, I..." Chris begins.

"Lorelai, I've told you a million times not to receive guests on the doorstep." Emily calls.

"Go. Now." says Lorelai.

"No. I wanted to see you, Lor..." Chris begins again.

"Ah Christopher!" says Richard, who's finally come to the door.

"Christopher?" says Emily. "Richard did you invite Christopher?"

"I would've told you if I'd invited Christopher."

"Well you didn't tell me you invited Lorelai." says Emily.

"Yes, Richard, Emily, I'm sorry I crashed your party. If I could just talk to Lorelai for five minutes, then I'll go."

"Nonsense!" says Richard. "You will stay and eat as long as you like. Come on in."

* * *

After a few hours and many introductions, Chris pulls Lorelai aside.

"Chris, what are you doing here? You shouldn't have come here, it's a powder keg already. What do you want?"

"I wanted to talk to you. Look, I didn't say it right before. You and me, Lor, there's always going to be something there, always. You can't ignore it. You can try but you can't."

"You're drunk."

"So are you."

"Oh shut up, Chris!" says Lorelai. "What's your point?"

"Why don't you just marry me, Lor? You and me, together at last. With Rory. Our little family."

"Why is our kid still an afterthought to you?"

"Lor, come on. Let's get married. Please."

"Don't beg Chris. I'm going to leave now and go home. I don't want to talk to you again for a while. Do you understand? I want no relationship at all with you for the next few months other than that we are co-parents. You need to calm down, sober up, be alone for a while and figure out what's important to you. Somewhere inside of you, you know. You just need to remember."

Lorelai stands up, and takes her purse, she starts to walk away but stops and turns around.

"Hey Chris?" she says. Christopher looks up. "The door to Rory is always open. Twenty four seven, three hundred sixty five days."

"What about the leap year?"

"Oh, she's off-limits then." says Lorelai. Chris smiles.

"Nice dress by the way." he says.

"Thank you."

"Whoever bought it for you must have impeccable taste."

Lorelai stops and blinks. All of a sudden the memories come rushing back. "It was a gift from you." she says.

Chris nods. "For your sixteenth birthday. I spent ages dress shopping for you. Trying to find the perfect one."

"It's perfect." says Lorelai.

"Looks a little tight now though..." says Chris, teasing her.

"Uh! How dare you!" says Lorelai, punching him playfully. "And who's fault is that anyway?"

Chris laughs and holds his hands up. Lorelai turns to leave again.

"I love you, Lor." he calls after her.

"I love you too, Chris." Lorelai calls back behind her.


End file.
